Flat Plastic Container with Arcuate Bottom for Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Flat containers made by blow molding or stretch blow molding, particularly those with a flattened shape, face instability issues due to their design, which affects their stability and handling, and existing solutions only partially address these problems without optimizing the shape of the bottom for ergonomics and production constraints.

Innovation Solution

The container is designed with specific dimensions and shapes, including a laying plane with varying transverse extensions and heights, to enhance stability and ergonomics, while minimizing flatness defects on the bottom, by optimizing the A2/B2 and A1/B1 ratios and the L1/L2 ratios, and ensuring even material distribution during the blow molding process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the container is flattened to improve ergonomics and grip, then ease of handling is improved, but stability deteriorates due to increased risk of tilting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of handlingVSAvoidstability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The bottom of the container is designed with a curved, rounded shape instead of a flat surface. Specifically, the bottom includes a rounded chamfer with a radius R3 that is greater than the radius R2 of the body's rounded chamfer. This curvature increases the contact area with the supporting surface and raises the center of gravity, thereby improving stability while maintaining the flattened body shape for ergonomic handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Manufacturing precision

If the blowing pressure is increased to improve bottom impression taking, then manufacturing precision is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebottom impression takingVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The bottom geometry is optimized with specific dimensional relationships: the radius R3 of the bottom's rounded chamfer is greater than the radius R2 of the body's rounded chamfer, and the height H3 of the bottom's rounded chamfer is greater than the height H2 of the body's rounded chamfer. These parameter changes facilitate better material flow and impression taking during blow molding, achieving good bottom formation without requiring excessive blowing pressure, thus reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If the blowing time is increased to improve bottom impression taking, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to increased cycle time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebottom impression takingVSAvoidproduction rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The bottom geometry is optimized with specific dimensional relationships: the radius R3 of the bottom's rounded chamfer is greater than the radius R2 of the body's rounded chamfer, and the height H3 of the bottom's rounded chamfer is greater than the height H2 of the body's rounded chamfer. These parameter changes facilitate better material flow and impression taking during blow molding, achieving good bottom formation without requiring excessive blowing pressure, thus reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of operation

If the container is flattened to improve ergonomics, then ease of handling is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to flatness defects on the bottom

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of handlingVSAvoidflatness defects on the bottom
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The bottom of the container is designed with a curved, rounded shape instead of a flat surface. Specifically, the bottom includes a rounded chamfer with a radius R3 that is greater than the radius R2 of the body's rounded chamfer. This curvature increases the contact area with the supporting surface and raises the center of gravity, thereby improving stability while maintaining the flattened body shape for ergonomic handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The bottom geometry is optimized with specific dimensional relationships: the radius R3 of the bottom's rounded chamfer is greater than the radius R2 of the body's rounded chamfer, and the height H3 of the bottom's rounded chamfer is greater than the height H2 of the body's rounded chamfer. These parameter changes facilitate better material flow and impression taking during blow molding, achieving good bottom formation without requiring excessive blowing pressure, thus reducing energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design significantly increases the stability of the container, maintains a good compromise between ergonomics and stability, and reduces the risk of flatness defects on the bottom, while allowing for efficient blowability and production without increasing energy consumption or cycle time.

Implementation Method 1

formed by stretch blow molding, within a mold in the cavity of the container (1), a plastic preform such as PET

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat: Heating

Implementation Method 2

formed by stretch blow molding

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP2814741B1Flat container including an arcuate bottom
Publication Date: 2018.08.01 SIDEL PARTICIPATIONS SAS
  • EP2814741B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2814741B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2814741B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Container of plastic material having a flattened body and a bottom in the extension of the body having peripheral seat defining a seating plane the contour of which has in the same plane a large dimension A1 and a small dimension A2 that is strictly smaller than the large dimension, and an inner annular cheek substantially perpendicular to the seating plane. The bottom having a concave arch that extends from the seat towards a central zone. A height H of the cheek and a width L of the seating plane are such that 0.5 ≤ L H ≤ 2.5 . A transverse extension A of the seating plane and a transverse extension B of the body, measured near the bottom, are such that A B ≥ 0.85 .